BREAKING: The Reign of Error in the Diocese of Rochester Officially Comes to a Close

The Diocese of Rochester has a new Bishop! Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Salvatore R. Matano as the new shepherd, and I would imagine many tears of joy glisten upon the cheeks of the faithful. Online buzz has already honed in on the fact that Bishop Matano has celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and to many, this news brings great joy.

Bishop Matano celebrated the EF in August of 2007
The first time the Mass had been celebrated in VT in over 30 years

Bishop Matano on:

HHS Mandate

Fr. Z on the Bishop's statement on Summorum Pontificum

Vermont's passing of assisted suicide legislation

Homosexuality among priesthood, and in general

Replacing CCHD collection in his Diocese in 2010

Bishop Matano's testimony against Vermont's same-sex 'marriage' legislation:


The story in National Catholic Register

***Installation is scheduled for Friday, January 3, 2014 at 2 p.m.***

For more news on Bishop Matano, please check out Cleansing Fire, the DOR's best informed blog with an emphasis on earthly purgation. 

McQuaid Jesuit High School: More Scandal in the Diocese of Rochester

Please read this post at Cleansing Fire about the latest scandal to hit the Diocese of Rochester. The DOR has waited 30+ years for some positive news (other than the retirement of Bishop Matthew Clark last year), and it appears as though the wait continues. Maranatha!





A snippet from a Canon Lawyer found HERE is quoted below. Please click on the link to read the entire article.

"In Lawrence of Arabia (1962) the diplomat Dryden quips (I’m quoting from memory): “If we’ve told lies, you’ve told half-lies. A man who tells lies merely hides the truth, but a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.” I thought of that line re ‘half-lies’ when I read Fr. Edward Salmon’s letter announcing his decision to allow two male students to attend the McQuaid Jesuit High School 2013 prom as a couple.

Catholics who were mercifully spared the “Church of the 70’s” might find illuminating Salmon’s letter; it’s vintage what so many of us were force-fed for ten dark years: condescending, platitudinistic, partial quotes of Church  documents used to justify the exact opposite of what the Church wants her members to know about Christ and his Gospel. Folks may read the letter for themselves and reach their own conclusions on it.  Here I address only one assertion by Salmon: “I am not encouraging nor am I condoning homosexual activity just as I do not encourage or condone heterosexual activity at a dance.” 

Breaking: Conclave Rumored to Have Already Chosen Lesbian for Pope

Catchy headline, right? Since the Holy Father's announcement of resignation, there has been an explosion of scandalous suggestions, finger-pointing, and pontificating by people across all forms of media. I don't know about you, but events which have taken place over this past year has certainly been trying my patience. Think Obama winning re-election, Boy Scouts of America's waning support of traditional values, the economy, the creeping in of socialist ideals, the government's shredding of our Constitutional rights, Obama, oh - I already mentioned him. I sincerely believe with all my being that the Holy Spirit guides the Church, and having done so for 2000 years, He is more than capable of seeing us all through another papal election. If the Church survived Pope Alexander VI, I think that given the current methods of selecting a pontiff, we'll all be just fine. Some fellow Catholics quickly spun into panic mode and behaved as if as a child, they suddenly found out their father left the family. I read online where a priest  commented that a pope must never "come down off the cross." He was alluding to the fact that Pope John Paul II suffered for a very long time and remained in the Chair of Peter until he entered into eternal rest. I tried to ignore comments such as these, reminding myself that this was quite a surprise to all and that we all deal with shock differently.

I remember when I was a kid in the 1970s and woke up one morning to hear on the news that the pope had died. We watched on television as the conclave met, and celebrated the sight of white smoke spewing out of the chimney. Then just weeks later, I woke up to hear that the pope died.

"I know he died. Duh."

"No, the new one died."

"WHAT?!"

We all survived - well, except for the pontiffs who didn't. Please don't misunderstand, I don't underestimate the great love for Pope Benedict XVI that millions around the world have. I also have a realistic understanding of the aging process and know the limits of most people who are well into their eighties. He is doing what he believes to be best for our Church and has done some very remarkable things in the time he has served us as shepherd. I believe him when he says he reached the decision prayerfully. Give the man a break. And what a good man, fully human, he is.

What I find frustrating is the fact that so many feel called to weigh in on what the Church should and shouldn't do. It is bad enough when non-Catholics call for a more 'progressive' pontiff, or one who will allow priests to marry, females to become priests, gay men to be ordained, etc. - but then when fellow Catholics begin to opine similarly, it drives me batty! Add to this the uncertainty of individuals in the US who are currently without a Bishop and the people who seize upon the situation to undermine the Church, I completely shed all charitable thoughts and want to scream! What would I yell?

• If you aren't Catholic, mind your own business! 
• If you are Catholic and think women should be ordained and/or: you believe the Church teachings on the gay lifestyle, abortion, artificial birth control, clown Masses, use of Latin in the Liturgy, the Eucharist, etc. are wrong - please leave. Stop your whining, take your self-righteous and condescending opinions and go. There are hundreds of options within 100 mile radius of just about anywhere in the lower 48 states. Buh bye. See ya! 
• If you're Catholic and find yourself dipping into the realm of despair from time to time, adopt a cardinal. Pray. Trust. All shall be well. 

DOR Catholic Courier Gains a Customer

What happens when a blog in the Diocese of Rochester, seeking to expose the continuing liturgical abuses, buys ad space in the Diocesan paper? I cannot wait to find out.

Cleansing Fire was started in June of 2009 by a few concerned Diocese of Rochester parishioners who are greatly hurt by what they have witnessed in their parishes over the course of thirty years. Since the "bonfire of orthodoxy" began, it has already logged more than 31,000 hits. That is 30k hits in a mere four months. Cleansing Fire has received enough donations from blog readers that they can now purchase an ad for their site in the Catholic Courier.

No, not the ballet. 'Liturgical Dance' at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

You may ask, "Why all of the talk about the Diocese of Rochester? I do not live there so it is really none of my business." It is our business as WE are Church. It is not your church, my church, his church, her church or even their church. If you see a house on fire, do you not call 911? Or do you just decide that it is really none of your business -- it isn't your house. What hurts one part of the body of Christ directly hurts the entire body. If a part of the Church is hurt, it affects us all. People are hurting and souls are at risk. Remember, there are sins of commission and those of omission. Know the difference.

Pray for the people of the Diocese of Rochester.

_____________

10 Most Common Liturgical Abuses

Diocese of Rochester: 1979 - Present

+Catholic Ponderings+ has covered disturbing and a bit of hopeful news coming from the Diocese of Rochester over the last two years. To review previous posts, please click here.

The faithful who live within the Diocese of Rochester have been suffering in various ways for three decades now, and the toll is staggering. Dr. K over at Cleansing Fire has documented the past thirty years. To those who continue to turn a blind eye toward the liturgical abuse, over-use of pastoral administrators who happen to be proud members of the Women's Ordination Conference, the closing of dozens of Catholic schools and the exodus of Catholics to either a neighboring Diocese or out of the Church altogether: Please take a new look at the timeline. Mammon has been at work in the Diocese of Rochester, and the Holy Spirit has been shunned in many places.

*Unfortunately, the pictures which could be found here previously are no longer visible.*  

Here is the link to the timeline. Your comments are appreciated. Please pray for the Diocese of Rochester.

Good News and an Invitation from the Diocese of Rochester

In the past, I have reported troubling news coming out of the Diocese of Rochester - Priests who openly support female 'ordination', Bishop Clark's book on lay ministries, a prayer request for the end to continuing liturgical abuse, a priest who sprinkles holy water via a squirt gun, an excommunicated group from Rochester spreading their heresy to Buffalo, a religious sister who refers to 'Brother Jesus' and gives homilies and more on the agenda in Rochester to press for female ordination.

In the far right column of +Catholic Ponderings+ you will find a list of other Catholic blogs I recommend to my readers. A newer listing is Cleansing Fire from the Diocese of Rochester. There are a few, rare beacons of light which shine through the darkness that has been clouding the DOR for many years. I would like to extend the following invitation to all in the Western/Central New York area as posted on Cleansing Fire:

All who read this are most cordially welcomed this Sunday, September 27th, to Saint Stanislaus Church at 1:30 for the Tridentine Latin Mass to be celebrated by Father Gerard McMahon in honor of his 50th anniversary of ordination. The Mass will be a Missa Cantata (a High Mass without all the ceremony). This is also the first High Mass of the choir season too. But the most important point is to give thanks to Our Lord for Father McMahon's 50 years as a faithful and orthodox priest of Christ.

Please pray that Our Lord gives us many holy priests for our local diocese and, to pray for our local diocesan seminarians that Our Lord grant them the grace of perseverance in their vocation to the Holy Priesthood.

St. Stanislaus is at the corner of Hudson Avenue and Norton Street. There is plenty of parking both behind the church and across the street from the church. There is a handicapped elevator, security on the premises and restrooms.

Our Schola Roffensis will chant the ordinary (Missa Orbis Factor) and proper parts of the Mass. The polyphonic choir will sing "Ad Te Levavi Oculos Meos" by Palestrina during the Offertory and "Sicut Cervus" also by Palestrina during the Communion. The ordinary parts of the Mass are the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei. The proper parts are the Introit, Gradual or Tract, and both the Offertory and Communion antiphons.

Holy Communion is received kneeling at the communion rail. The priest will recite a prayer over you, there is no need to say "Amen". You should be in the state of grace (no mortal sin on your soul) to receive Holy Communion. I hope many of you can make it as I told Father that I was posting this on the blog.

Rochester Diocesan Priest's Prayer: Year of the Female Priest

Cleansing Fire, a blog by a rightly concerned individual in the Diocese of Rochester brought this issue to light.

First, a fact: No female will ever, ever be ordained as priest with the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church. This is an infallible teaching of the Church. Period.

Now the fantasy of a priest in Pittsford as shared in the church bulletin where he is Pastor:

I know to raise the issue of women and married men to be considered as priests is unacceptable for some among us…not for me…I pray that wherever priests come from that we as God’s family would be open to allow people to serve…if you feel only male celibates should be ordained, fine, encourage and pray for that…if you feel women or married men should be considered, encourage and pray for that…wherever the vocations come from, let us just pray
pray and accept them to serve.

My prayer for this Year of the Priest is that all in our Church would be open to consider the many fine Deacons whocould be ordained to Ministerial Priesthood…that we would not be afraid to open ourselves to other Married Men becoming candidates…that our Church would use this year to study and examine whether women should be ordained as deacons…that we would consider the possibility that God has planted the vocation to Priesthood in women’s lives and
we would seriously try to discern that…that even for Bishops, we would return to the traditional process where the people of the Diocese had a say in offering candidates…I am sure that these ideas are not a part of Pope Benedict’s plan for this year, but as long as we are going to focus on Priests, let’s consider all the dimensions of Priesthood and the real need our Church has.

Please pray for Fr. Kevin Murphy and the parishioners in his care. Pray for the Diocese of Rochester. +

A Book to Boycott

If you are familiar with the shenanigans which take place daily in the Diocese of Rochester, and the homilies given by laypersons, you will surely be interested to know that Bishop Matthew Clark has written a book.

Forward in Hope: Saying Amen to Lay Ecclesial Ministry

Saying Amen? How about something more like 'I'm a dissident and I like it that way'.

Let us continue to pray for Bishop Clark and our Catholic brothers and sisters who live in the Diocese of Rochester. May the Lord's will be done.

Thanks to DOR Catholic for breaking the story. Please follow his blog. See also Rochester Catholic for more DOR news. Keep in mind, Bishop Clark has appointed women to the position of 'Pastoral Administrator' -- like at St. Anne's where there are three priests and a deacon at the parish (Sunday attendance 500 parishioners). The priest is simply referred to as a 'Sacramental Minister' and -- did I mention that the sister who is PA also is a leader in the fight for 'female ordination'?

*sigh*

Past +Ponderings+ entries: Diocese of Rochester

To Laugh or to Cry - You Decide

What happens when you cross elements of the Diocese of Rochester with what Catholic universities have become? A married man who was ordained a 'priest' by an excommunicated 'bishop' and refers to himself as a married priest, who announces the ordination of 'female bishops', who were graduates of Notre Dame and St. Mary's - both in Indiana. Got that? Let me explain it this way: Phony priest from Rochester, NY who happens to be a 'media liaison' for CORPUS (a group for dissidents who think they are still Catholic but really are not) is proud to announce the ordination of female 'bishops', one a Notre Dame graduate and the other a graduate of St. Mary's. Still messy and full of grammatical errors but not as erroneous as the canon laws which have been trounced. Note that their croziers are as phony as they are in the picture above. Read the news release:

CORPUS Congratulates Four Newly Ordained Women Bishops
By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison
Dated: Apr 19, 2009

CORPUS, the national association for an inclusive priesthood, wishes to convey its joy over the ordination of four women bishops on April 19, 2009, in Santa Barbara, California.

CORPUS SUPPORTS AND CONGRATULATES FOUR NEWLY-ORDAINED CATHOLIC WOMEN-BISHOPS

CORPUS (www.corpus.org), the national association for an inclusive priesthood, is deeply proud to articulate its support of four ordinations that took place on April 19 in the state of California. It is withgreat joy that we congratulate the following four Catholic bishops: Joan Mary Clark Houk, Andrea MicheleJohnson, Bridget Mary Meehan and Maria Regina Nicolosi.

Bishops Houk, Johnson, Meehan and Nicolosi join their male counterparts in the Roman Catholic Episcopate as servant-leaders of their respective communities.

For over thirty-five years, CORPUS has been actively engaged in the effort to create a church that is all-inclusive. In its effort to expand its outreach efforts, CORPUS has moved beyond its original mission as a vehicle of support for married priests and their families. We now recognize that the Kingdom of God on earth cannot be realized until all of human creation is treated with dignity and respect. We also realize that
a call from God to ordained ministry is not limited to celibate males. We therefore embrace and encourage all who experience the call, minus any discrimination on the basis of gender, marital status or sexual orientation.

Women who prepare for ordination to the diaconate, priesthood and episcopate are highly trained and have the same educational qualifications as males in similar roles. CORPUS hopes and prays that those who are opposed to the ordination of women will search their hearts and come to realize that if the Catholic Church is to remain vital in the years ahead, we must be open to the will of the Holy Spirit.

The fact that many women are coming forward to respond to a call from God is a reason to celebrate, and CORPUS greets these women of faith with open arms and a feeling of joy and gratitude for their spiritual
and ministerial gifts. Bishops Houk, Johnson, Meehan and Nicolosi give hope to a divided church. CORPUS has every confidence that they will be true disciples of Christ, and we therefore rejoice in their ordination to the rank of the episcopate.

CORPUS has been in existence for over 35 years to promote and support inclusivity in the ranks of the Roman Catholic priesthood.

If you are game, go to youtube.com and search for: 'Rochester married priest' and feast your eyes on the the media laison from CORPUS. He dances with cleaning implements, has fake conversations with the Pope on the telephone and all sorts of nonsense. Then whether you cry or laugh, end with a prayer. Maranatha.

Thanks to fratres for sharing the story.

Prayer Request: Diocese of Rochester (New York)

Bishop Fulton Sheen, sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester

Rochester Catholic is asking that we join many hurting brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Rochester in prayer. There have been many +Ponderings+ entries on the current situation within the Diocese and most can be found HERE. There is a counter on the front page of their website where you can let them know how many rosaries/decades you have prayed for their intention.

From Rochester Catholic, a glimpse of the dire situation:

• The diocese permits a canonically forbidden practice of allowing non-ordained persons to give homilies at Mass. The diocese justifies this practice by describing these homilies as “dialogue homilies”. The claim is that these homilies are a dialogue between the presiding priest and the non-ordained homilist. In truth, a dialogue homily is generally recognized as a practice that is to be occasionally utilized at Masses for children. The dialogue is supposed to be between the priest or deacon and the children. The most liberal interpretation of these dialogue homilies would be the allowance for a dialogue between the ordained minister and the congregation. A dialogue between the ordained minister and a non-ordained homilist does not fall under this understanding. Beyond this, the diocese’s non-ordained homilists are not engaging in dialogue with anyone. They preach the homily, without dialogue, in the same manner as a priest or deacon. Many have objected to this practice by sighting Canon Law. These written and verbal protests have not been successful.
• The diocese has been rapidly clustering and closing parishes. These clusterings and closings often result in the governance of the parishes being turned over to non-ordained pastoral administrators. The priests that serve these parishes are then relegated to the position of “sacramental ministers”. Many times, these administrators are women who assume a liturgical posture that is confusing to many of the faithful. These administrators wear albs, preach homilies, preside over baptisms, and alter the liturgy. Some of these administrators are active in the Women’s Ordination Conference. They often bring an agenda which is contrary to the Church’s official recognition that only men can be ordained to the priesthood. These various offenses have been damaging to the faithful, and have driven many individuals and families out of their home parishes.
• The diocese has become a destination of choice for dissident Catholic speakers. These speakers are here on a regular basis, and often appear under the sponsorship of parishes and Catholic Chairs at college campuses. For example, the notorious Roger Haight, who the Vatican has banned from teaching Catholic theology, has now been here two years in a row. He has spoken to Catholic audiences at the U of R, RIT and St. John Fisher. Speakers like this are rarely, if ever, censured or challenged by anyone in authority from the diocese. The faithful are never warned about the danger that these speakers present to their listening audiences, many of them young and poorly catechized.

That is just a small yet bitter taste of the problems that exist. They will have NO ordinations in either 2011 or 2012 and Mass attendance is steadily plummeting. Our parish, in the Diocese of Buffalo, has many people in the pews every week who travel to our church for Mass and devotions. Some drive as long as 40 minutes to attend Mass with us. Please include our brothers and sisters of the Diocese of Rochester in your daily prayers.

Diocese of Rochester - Meet Fr. Richard Hunt

Photo by Tom Liggett as posted at Reporter Online

Fr. Richard Hunt, (edited: now former) chaplain at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and others like him have become more the norm than the exception in the Rochester area. Some notable items about Fr. Hunt:

• He is a Reiki Master-Teacher
• From a description of one of his programs [emphases mine]:
  
  This workshop on Spiritual Clearing will cover both the theory and practice of clearing detrimental spiritual entities that can be in the human energy field. We will explore a wide range of possible spiritual interferences and treatment options for removing them. This is a hands-on workshop, where you will be trained to do spiritual clearings by working with other participants. A two volume workbook set is necessary and is included in the cost of this course. This will be your class notes and reading material for after the workshop. Basic Spiritual Clearing is something any dowser can do. Be sure to bring your pendulum and/or rods.”
  Fr. Richard D. Hunt, S.J. is Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at the Rochester Institute of Technology. With fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychotherapist – he has studied healing for 35 years with various teachers: he is a Reiki Master-Teacher, uses kinesiology and dowsing. He has spent a lot of time studying Buddhism and practicing that form of meditation in a Christian spiritual context. A trained musician and artist, Fr. Richard has studied and practices Tibetan, and Chinese healing methods, Therapeutic Touch, esoteric and psychic healing methods, he has trained as a shaman with a Native American healer, uses color, sound and music healing methods, Cymatics, Radionics, Rapid Eye Technology, EMF Balancing Technique, Spiritual Clearing, various healing instruments, as well as some methods he developed. He teaches workshops on Healing with Sound; Healing with Light and Color.
  
  

• He celebrated the Holy Mass at RIT in the not-so-distant past wearing Mickey Mouse ears during the processional and spraying the congregation with a super-soaker filled with blessed water.

There is plenty more interesting information but I think the above points have probably given you a clearer picture than you imagined possible.

The USCCB released a document on March 26, 2009 about Reiki therapy. Some excerpts worth noting from their media relations office letter:

• The U.S. bishops have issued guidelines that call Reiki therapy, an alternative medicine originating in Japan, unscientific and inappropriate for Catholic institutions.
• For Christians the access to divine healing is by prayer to Christ as Lord and Savior, while the essence of Reiki is not a prayer but a technique that is passed down from the 'Reiki Master' to the pupil, a technique that once mastered will reliably produce the anticipated results.
• For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems
• To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that undergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science. Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science
• Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy
  

Continue to pray for the people of the Diocese of Rochester.

UPDATE: December 2009:

Fr. Richard Hunt is no longer listed as an instructor of Reiki at the local 'healing center'.  It is my hope that prayers were answered and he is adhering to his role as Catholic Priest.  Interestingly, the center he is no longer visibly affiliated with now offers an ordination of its own - ORDINATION to the ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK (Rev.) by Dan Chesbro $175.  If you complete that, you can take the follow-up course, Performing Sacred Ceremonies (you must be ordained already as Rev. $85.

October 2010

This blog entry remains popular as people land here after having entered the search term Fr. Richard Hunt into various search engines. I did so myself and found a listing from 2006 where his extensive study list includes "Tibetan, and Chinese healing methods, Christian laying-on-of hands, Therapeutic Touch, esoteric and psychic healing methods, he has trained as a shaman with a Native American healer, uses color, sound and music healing methods, Cymatics, Radionics, Rapid Eye Technology, EMF Balancing Technique, Spiritual Clearing, various healing instruments, etc. as well as some methods he developed." Amazing that so many people struggle with turning from sinful associations yet it appears that Fr. Hunt has dropped his varied interests. Perhaps he has taken a second look at Christianity and that would be a good thing.

April 2013

Fr. Richard Hunt belongs to the same community you'll find in this entry about McQuaid Jesuit School allowing a same-sex attracted 'couple' to attend their high school prom.

If the 'Modernists' Had Their Way: Mr. Bean and the Creed

Below is a spoof, not of the Apostles Creed, but of those who think they know better than the Church; the dissenters who say she is too old fashioned, not loving enough, not inclusive enough. After learning that the Diocese of Rochester recently installed a temporary labyrinth in their Cathedral, I wonder if Bishop Matthew Clark would perhaps prefer his female priestesses hand out leaflets with an altered Nicene Creed at the Holy Mass. This coupled with a 'super-soaker' filled with holy water should be a great inspiration to the average dissident. We wouldn't want anyone to be uncomfortable, would we? ;) Watch the video, laugh and then pray.



"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths." (2 Tim 4:3-4)

Many Thanks, Bishop Kmiec - Faithful Leader of Buffalo Diocese

In a 'Ponderings' entry a month or so back, I mentioned a 'virus' which had spread from the Rochester Diocese to Buffalo.

Our dear Shepherd, Bishop Edward Kmiec has addressed the issue as any orthodox Catholic Church leader would - with clarity, truth and succinctly to the point. From the February edition of Western New York Catholic, emphasis mine:

The Buffalo News recently (Jan. 4, 2009) reported on a group called Spiritus Christi that holds a Eucharistic worship each week as a sort of alternate Catholic Church. A few members of the group, including the presiding priest, remarked that they are Catholics who disagree with some of the requirements for participation in the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church. From the tenor of the article in the News, it seems that the Catholic Church is not progressive enough for these worshipers.

...

However, one cannot belong to a group such as Spiritus Christi or the traditionalist church of Marcel Lefebvre and at the same time be a faithful Roman Catholic. To be a faithful Catholic, a baptized person commits herself or himself to worship and live the Christian life under the direction of the bishop of the local church (the diocese).

Through the bishop, the local church is in communion with the worldwide college of bishops, who teach the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, and organize the Church with and under the bishop of Rome, the pope. In this way the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

There is no other way to be a Roman Catholic.

Thank you, Bishop Kmiec. We are blessed to have you in the Diocese of Buffalo.

DOR Deadly Virus Reaches Buffalo

A decade ago, when a large group of Catholics feuded with the Diocese of Rochester over issues such as female priests and blessing of gay unions, the very public dispute resulted in the dismissal of a longtime priest, the ouster of a nun from her order and the firing of a pastoral associate — as well as national media attention.

It led to a splinter congregation, Spiritus Christi Church, that draws as many as 2,900 people a week for its worship services in downtown Rochester.

The break also rippled quietly westward into the Diocese of Buffalo, where a small but faithful group gathers weekly inside a Protestant church on the West Side, guided by the same principles of inclusion preached by the Rochester congregation.

They call themselves Spiritus Christi Buffalo, and on the first Wednesday evening each month, the Rev. James Callan, the ousted Rochester priest, drives the 76 miles on the Thruway to celebrate a Catholic Mass in Buffalo.

Please read the full article at Buffalo News.

Other notable quotes from the article:

“Sometimes I feel like I’m breaking rules,” said Rosey Nogle, who also attends St. Timothy’s Church in the Town of Tonawanda"

...


“I don’t think turning people away is very productive for a religious community,” said Nogle, who is studying in the lay program at Christ the King Seminary and hopes someday to follow in Ramerman’s footsteps and become a priest."

MORE Blasphemy from Rochester Diocese

(There was a video here of Sr. Joan shining in the limelight during a Mass at St. Anne's, however the video was removed by the person who posted it to youtube due to a lot of harassment by members of the Sr. Joan fanclub)

Sr. Joan, major supporter of female ordination and person who calls Jesus, "Brother Jesus", is installed as Pastoral Administrator. Sr. Joan and now Sr. Roberta give homilies at the (un)Holy Masses celebrated at their parish while three priests and a deacon sit on the sideline - with the full blessing of Bishop Matthew Clark. Guess what they refer to the Priest (aka Pastor in other churches) as in their bulletin! He's the 'Sacramental Minister', don't ya know. For more information on Sr. Joan, see this archived blog entry.

Have you had enough yet?!

Well, I'm going to tell you anyway...

Rich Leonardi's blog points to something offensive taking place among the youth at St. Ambrose in Irondequoit - also Diocese of Rochester. Can you say Mime Passion Play? On his blog, you can click on a link to view a slideshow of pictures. Do note that this is taking place INSIDE the Sanctuary and the 'mime' crucified Jesus donning a Superman shirt lies down ON the ALTAR!. No, this is not a joke - sadly.

Please, pray for the Diocese of Rochester. And if you can, put in a word for them at the Vatican.

Cardinal Francis Arinze
Prefect - Congregation for Divine Worship
Piazza Pio XII, 10
Vatican City (Europe) 00120

More on how to handle Liturgical abuses here.
_________________

See also:

Catholic Answers Special Report on Liturgical Abuses

From the 2003 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM):

66. The Homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person.[65] In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate.

Inaestimabile Donum and Canon Law state:

"The faithful have a right to a true Liturgy, which means the Liturgy desired and laid down by the Church, which has in fact indicated where adaptations may be made as called for by pastoral requirements in different places or by different groups of people. Undue experimentation, changes and creativity bewilder the faithful. The use of unauthorized texts means a loss of the necessary connection between the lex orandi and the lex credendi. The Second Vatican Council's admonition in this regard must be remembered: "No person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove or change anything in the Liturgy on his own authority." [Sacrosanctum Concilium] And Paul VI of venerable memory stated that: "Anyone who takes advantage of the reform to indulge in arbitrary experiments is wasting energy and offending the ecclesial sense."[Paul VI, address of August 22, 1973: "L'Osservatore Romano," August 23, 1973.]

Canon 528 ß2: "The parish priest is to take care that the blessed Eucharist is the center of the parish assembly of the faithful. He is to strive to ensure that the faithful are nourished by the devout celebration of the sacraments, and in particular that they frequently approach the sacraments of the blessed Eucharist and penance. He is to strive to lead them to prayer, including prayer in their families, and to take a live and active part in the sacred liturgy. Under the authority of the diocesan Bishop, the parish priest must direct this liturgy in his own parish, and he is bound to be on guard against abuses."

Trouble to the East - Diocese of Rochester in Need of Prayers (and more)

Please keep our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Rochester in your prayers. The agenda for a move from orthodoxy to divisiveness has become a parasite which sucking out the life of many parishes - leaving those who are hurt to hear the heartless words, "good, go fertilize other churches."

For a first-hand account, read the words of DJ, a 17 year old young man who has discerned a vocation to the priesthood. Part 1 and the tragic update in Part 2. Interesting are the comments which follow his heartfelt and tear-rendering posts of others who have witnessed the demise of many parishes in the DOR.

For varying perspectives, see the following blogs:

DOR Catholic
In These Dark Times
Your Desolate Sanctuary
Quit Complaining: Do Something Positive

Female ordination agenda, protestantization of church buildings, discouraging priestly vocations, lay persons giving homilies, priest being referred to as 'Sacramental Ministers' - all of it a recipe for disaster.

There is a website for the agenda of female ordination (no, I will not provide a link) and on the site it gives credit to women who are leaders in the cause - and prominently displayed is the current Pastor at St. Anne's in Rochester on Mt. Hope:

In the telling of this story, it is important to pause and to remember and name persons and groups who have been key to the survival and the success of the movement for women’s ordination over these many years. There are literally hundreds I could name. This movement is living proof that it takes a village! But I will name a few whose vision, tenacity and courage have inspired and empowered us all: Dolly Pomerleau, Bill Callahan, Ruth Fitzpatrick and Maureen Fiedler-present at the creation, fearless and powerful spokespersons against the injustice of the ban on women’s ordination. Marjorie Tuite, OP, brilliant analyst and truth-telling empowerer; Joan Sobala, SSJ and Marsie Silvestro, Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz and Rosalie Muschall Reinhardt-faithful women, keeping the lamp burning in dark times; -Women's Ordination Conference

After you pray for the Rochester Diocese and its people, it is time for asking some more serious questions and expecting answers from the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in regard to the Diocese of Rochester and its mismanagement which is leaving pews and school desks empty and hearts broken.